


I Think We're Alone Now

by masqueerade



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff, Karaoke, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4564494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masqueerade/pseuds/masqueerade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Flash enjoys his clashes with Captain Cold more than is perhaps appropriate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Barry,” Caitlin’s voice came through the intercom in his suit as he patrolled the city, “The Snarts are at the museum.”

“Why do I even bother coming up with codenames?” Cisco’s voice came through, frustrated.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Barry tuned out his teammates’ argument and smiled as he set off to the museum. A lot in his life was complicated right now. Spending so much time fighting crime as the Flash meant his day job sometimes took a backseat, and he was under near constant pressure at work about it. Keeping his double life hidden from Iris was taking a toll on their friendship, which he had always relied so heavily on. Then there was the stress of working alongside Wells, and not knowing whether his teammates could actually be trusted or not. He was lying constantly to virtually everyone he knew, and it was exhausting.

But Captain Cold was simple. They’d do this every so often, he’d hold up a bank, or a transport, making a big show of it. Barry would arrive, they’d trade puns, fight, he’d usually recover or prevent the theft.

It was honestly kind of fun.

He stopped outside the museum, tamped down his smile, and stepped through the doors at normal human speed. Last time Barry had come running in, slipped on an icy floor, and immediately fallen on his ass, much to Cold’s amusement. He’d tried the same trick again this time. “You really thought I’d fall for that again?” His voice echoed in the atrium as Captain Cold turned round to smirk at him, thick.

“Flash,” he drawled, “Nice of you to show up. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to come.”

“Well, you know,” he ran in a burst of lightning across the room, dodging a lazy blast from the cold gun, and stopping several feet behind the older man. “I love museums.” He darted forward, but Cold had already turned round and he had to dodge to the side to avoid a blast of ice.

“It’s so good to see there’s some young people in this city interested in education,” Cold continued firing blast after blast as Barry ran round him. “It really warms the heart,” he added as a shot clipped Barry’s leg, knocking him to the floor.

He gritted his teeth. The ice burned, but he knew he’d be okay in a moment. He grinned as Cold walked methodically towards him, “Just want to make sure the older generations’ contribution to society don’t go forgotten,” he wasn’t the only one who could make cracks about age.

“Barry, he’s just distracting you!” Cisco’s voice came biting in his ear, “Golden Glider is in there too somewhere, probably stealing whatever they came to steal!” He grumbled, “You do this every time.”

Barry sighed and picked himself up, “Hate to fight and run, Captain, but it seems I’ve got an actual thief to stop.” He gave a mocking salute, and ran deeper into the museum, a blast of ice just missing him, the noise drowning out whatever last word Cold was trying to get in.

“There’s an exhibit just opened on the third floor about a famous ice skater, she’s probably there.” Caitlin told him.

“Got it.” He replied, bursting into the room where Lisa Snart stood, apparently waiting for him.

“Oh dear, I really thought my brother would hold your interest longer than this.” She said with a sly wink, sending a beam of gold towards him which he dodged easily. “Oh well, you got me.” She held her hands up in mock surrender. Barry quickly disarmed her and carried her out of the museum, before returning to face Cold again.

“Looks like we’re alone now, Scarlet.” His arms were wide, nonchalant.

“Looks that way.” Barry couldn’t help but grin at him. They stood still for a moment, eyes held fast on each other.

Barry’s heart was racing as Captain Cold swung his gun round and he leapt forward.

This was exhilarating.

**~*~**

Barry found out a while later that Snart had actually gotten away with something, probably pocketed while he’d been busy fighting his sister.

Wells was not happy.

“Mr. Allen, I wanted to talk to you about Captain Cold.”

Barry paused and took a breath before turning round, tension leaking into his voice nonetheless, “What about him?”

“This bizarre game, this contest you have going on with him. I really think your energies would be better spent on other things.”

“So, what, I’m supposed to just let him steal things?”

“No, of course not, but you could try taking him a little more seriously. You let him set the terms of engagement and it leads to lapses like the museum.”

“What is so terrible about me actually enjoying myself for five minutes?”

Caitlin and Cisco’s quiet conversation from across the room suddenly stopped.

“He’s a dangerous criminal.” Wells’ voice remained even, but Barry could feel an edge to it anyway.

“It’s not like he’s killing anyone, it’s not like he’s-,” Barry’s temper was flaring, his voice rising. He hadn’t noticed Caitlin move until she placed a hand on his arm.

“Okay Barry, let’s take a step back. Wells is just… concerned.” She turned to face Wells, “and Doctor Wells, Barry is just stressed.”

Wells was quiet a moment, exhaling softly. “Something to think about.” He said before turning and leaving the room.

Nobody spoke for a minute.

“So.” Cisco cut the silence.

“Yeah, okay, I know it’s kind of weird, this pseudo-fremeses thing, but,” he dragged a hand through his hair, “everything is so complicated, with Wells, and Iris, and this thing with Snart is…”

“Simple.” Caitlin finished for him with a wan smile.

There was another quiet moment until, “Dude,” Cisco spoke up, “Fremeses?”

“You know, like frenemies, but… nemeses.”

“Yeah, no, I get it, just,” he shook his head, “dude.”

Barry laughed, and Caitlin sighed.

**~*~**

Leonard’s next robbery, a few weeks later, took Barry mere seconds to unravel. He was working solo, and apparently didn’t really have a getaway plan, because Barry found him just walking down the street with a bag full of cash. He didn’t even have the cold gun with him.

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but after his excitement when he got the call, he was a little disappointed.

“Honestly, this was-” Barry flashed away to return the stolen money, reappearing in a blur “-pathetic.” Barry swallowed heavily as Leonard opened his mouth to say something, cutting him off by running his hands over him, searching at superspeed.

Finding nothing, Barry sighed. “You know, it’s no fun if you basically give yourself up.”

“So,” Leonard grinned back at him, “You usually have fun.”

Barry frowned defensively, “Well, okay, yeah. So do you.”

“Never denied it. You’re a unique opponent, Scarlet.”

“I-,” Barry was flustered by the teasing tone of his voice, and took a breath to pull himself together. “What even was the point of this, Leonard? Were you trying to get caught?”

“Spur of the moment, I was bored.” Leonard turned as if about to leave, before pausing and turning back as Barry pulled his hood down to scratch the back of his neck. “Do you want to get a drink?”

“I, do I… what?”

“Do you want to get a drink? Toast the end of the working week.”

“One, crime doesn’t exactly take weekends off, so Friday isn’t really the end of the working week for either of us. And two, you know, um, why?”  
Leonard is quiet a second, before answering with a small shrug, “I told you, I’m bored.”

“I have, uh… plans already.” Caitlin had insisted they needed some time to unwind, which was true, and so was dragging them all to karaoke that night. “You could…” Barry briefly considered inviting him, but thought better of it. “Um, no, sorry. Thank you? I have plans and, so…” He could feel the colour rising in his cheeks as he stumbled over the words. “Right. Bye then.”

Barry dashed off before Leonard could say anything in reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been literally years since I wrote fanfiction, but, this show dragged me back in, apparently. It is the first I've ever posted on here, so if I've done anything wrong (like tagging or w/e), please let me know? thx.
> 
> Part 2 is mostly done already, but also, I'm not at home atm, so, who knows when exactly it will be here. I suppose I could have waited and posted the whole thing at once, but, I didn't want to do that, so I didn't.


	2. Chapter 2

“He asked you out?” Iris cackled when Barry finally brought it up, two rounds into the night.

“Who did?” Eddie asked innocently, as he carried over round three.

“Captain Cooooold.” She sing-songed in reply. 

“He didn’t ask me out.”  Barry sputtered, as Eddie raised an eyebrow in his direction. “He was bored.  That’s why he was robbing that place to start with.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Wait. So. Captain Cold gets bored,” Cisco pondered aloud, ignoring Barry’s groans, “and decides to rob a liquor store.”

“Knowing this will likely attract the attention of The Flash.” Caitlin continued, gesturing clumsily to Barry.

“Who he then asks out.” Eddie finished with a smug grin.

“Eddieeee, don’t encourage them.” Barry whined. Eddie merely shrugged with a smile as the rest of the group continued to tease him, and he planted his forehead on the table.

~*~

Eddie and Iris were stumbling their way through Don’t Go Breaking My Heart when Barry snuck outside for some fresh air. It was great to spend time with his friends, but karaoke night sober could be a bit trying. He sighed. At least they had stopped teasing him about-

“Well good evening, Scarlet.”

Barry had been completely in his own head, and hadn’t even noticed Len was there. “Snart! Um, Captain… Len.” Barry flushed, embarrassed, “What are you doing here?”

“Same as you, I imagine.” Len raised his half empty pint glass. 

“Oh, I’m not actually drinking. I can’t actually. Get drunk, that is, because of my metabolism now, so…” he trailed off awkwardly.

“I guess there’s no point offering to buy you a drink, then?”  Len’s lips quirked upward, and Barry felt his heartrate increase, and looked away awkwardly.

“Well, I mean, I can still drink for the taste, it’s not like it’s poisonous or anything, I just don’t get the aid of lowered inhibitions when I inevitably find myself on stage.”

Len raised an eyebrow, “You’re going to sing sober, huh?”

“Oh, um, probably? My friends will probably make me. Are you going to? Karaoke doesn’t really seem like your thing.”

“No, I won’t be singing tonight Barry,” he leaned in closer, “But I will definitely be sticking around to hear you.”

“Um,” he swallowed, “I should… I should go back inside, my friends are. Yeah. Inside.” Barry paused at the door, “Nice to… see you, Len.”

~*~

It wasn’t long before Barry was on stage, giving Caitlin a baffled look as the synth drums of the song started playing.  They’d looked through the song list together, and as soon as she’d seen this one she had insisted. He sang the first few lines, getting into the feel of it, but it wasn’t until he reached the chorus that he understood why Caitlin had picked this out.

_Running just as fast as we can_

He heard Caitlin’s drunken cackle from across the room.

 _Holding onto one another’s hands_  
_Trying to get away into the night_  
_And then you put your arms around me_  
_And we tumble to the ground_  
_And then you say-_

Barry stumbled slightly over the next line as he noticed Len watching him from the bar, but soon recovered, gaining confidence as he went on. He didn’t break his gaze with Len until the song was over and he heard his friends cheering from their table. He suddenly felt embarrassed, and didn’t dare look back over at the bar as he left the stage.

~*~

“Barryyyyy!” Caitlin cheered as he arrived back at the table. “We have a surprise for you.” She added in a stage whisper.

“Huh?” He looked at everyone, confused, before his eyes landed on a tall blue cocktail in the centre of the table.

“Seems you have an admirer, Barr.” Eddie clapped his hand on Barry’s shoulder, “Someone sent a drink over.”

“What, who…” He span round, but Len wasn’t at the bar anymore, and he couldn’t see him anywhere else.

“Obviously.” Iris said with a snort of laughter, and Barry turned back round to look at her. “Okay, I mean, we don’t _know_ know, but-,”

“Everyone saw you staring at each other, dude.” Cisco cut in.

Barry’s certain his face is bright red by the time he picks the drink up. It’s delicious.

~*~

Len was at the bar buying a drink when Barry spotted him, cutting in to hand the barman money before Len had chance to.

“Also, could I get another of those, um-,”

“Blue lagoon.”

“Yeah, that.”

The barman turned to make the cocktail, and Len turned towards Barry, leaning on the bar. “Thanks for the drink, Scarlet.”

“Yeah, well, thank you for… it was nice. I mean, obviously.” Barry bit his lip.

“You’re a good singer.” Len smiled gently at him as the barman handed him his drink and change and he mumbled thank you. “So, cheers then.” He clinked his glass to Barry’s, before taking his first sip. “To the end of the working week.”

Barry laughed, “You’re really not doing anything this weekend?”

“My line of work leaves me with a lot of downtime.  Assuming the city’s resident leather wearing vigilante doesn’t foil my schemes.”

“It’s not actually leather, you know.” Barry rolled his eyes at Len’s smirk before sighing, “My line of work leaves me with basically no downtime. It’s not often we all get chance to hang out together like this, you know.”

“And yet you’re over here, talking to me.” Len said, almost as a question.

“Well, handsome men buying me drinks doesn’t happen every day either.” Barry flushed red as soon as the words left his mouth, “Oh God, um, I mean…” he looked away and sipped his drink to stop him embarrassing himself any further.

Len smiled at him.

~*~

“You sure you’re not joining us?” Eddie asked Barry, closing the taxi door after helping Caitlin with her seatbelt.

“Nah, I’m gonna maybe have one more drink…”

“Woo, get some!” Iris called from the car.

“Then jog home, you know.” Barry finished, ignoring her.

Eddie was quiet for a second, “Alright, just… be careful, okay?”

“Eddie, I’m completely sober, I can jog home just fine.”

“Barry,” he placed his hand on his shoulder, looking him straight in the eye, “be careful.”

“I…” Barry swallowed, “Yeah. Thanks Eddie.”

Eddie pulled him into a tight hug, before breaking away with a grin. “Alright, I better make sure these idiots get home safe.” He said with a nod back to the taxi. The three of them waved and jeered enthusiastically as Barry held a hand up before turning to head back inside.

~*~

Barry shivered slightly in the night air. Len wrapped his coat round him, hands resting on his shoulders for a moment. Barry bit his lip. They were so close together.

The door clattered open and they broke apart. The few others who had stayed until closing noisily chatted nearby as they waited for taxis.

“You should have brought a jacket, Scarlet.” Len said as he leaned back against the brick wall alongside Barry, their shoulders brushing together.

“I don’t usually stay this late,” Barry pulled the warm coat around himself, watching a couple drunkenly make out, “Or wait around when I do leave. I’d usually be home by now, you know.”

Len huffed slightly, pushing off from the wall. “Don’t let me keep you.”

“No, Len I-,” Barry grabbed his wrist, “If I wanted to leave, I would.”

Len turned to face him, a smile playing on the edge of his lips. Barry kept hold of his wrist as Len moved his other hand under his coat to rest on his hip. He turned away to watch the last of the other customers stumble into a taxi, turning back to Barry as it pulled away. He moved closer, their feet touching, leaning in until Barry could feel his breath hot against his ear.

“I think we’re alone now.” Len whispered, and Barry would have laughed, but Len pulled back to look into his eyes. Neither of them moved for a moment. They were so close together, he could feel heat radiating from him, could smell his sweat and cologne, could hear his heart pounding and feel his own heart racing.

He closed his eyes and leaned in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, yeah, the song Barry sings is I Think We're Alone Now, by Tiffany. It is a good song, imo, because I like terrible '80s synth pop.
> 
> I may... write more things... I have a couple of ideas.  
> Only time will tell.
> 
> But for now, thank you everyone! Who read and enjoyed! This!


End file.
